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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25552936">apples and oranges</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbaskerville/pseuds/queenbaskerville'>queenbaskerville</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>for my whole crew [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Leverage, White Collar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Crimes &amp; Criminals, Dialogue Heavy, Episode: s01e11 The Juror Number 6 Job, F/F, F/M, M/M, Season/Series 01, Team as Family</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:14:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25552936</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenbaskerville/pseuds/queenbaskerville</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“There is not some kind of evil conspiracy lurking behind the curtain of every routine civic duty,” Sara snaps. </p><p>“That’s what they want you to think,” Mozzie shouts back at her.</p><p>—</p><p>S1E11: The Juror #6 Job</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey, Neal Caffrey &amp; Mozzie, Sara Ellis/Alex Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>for my whole crew [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850785</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>apples and oranges</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s immediately following an argument about risks  and improvisations of Mozzie’s on a recent job that had put everyone else in a bit of a tough spot that Mozzie checks his office mail. </p><p></p><div>
  <p>"I got some sort of mail for a Ron Carter," Mozzie says, throwing the envelope on the table.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Old jazz," Neal murmurs.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You are Ron Carter," Elizabeth says. "It's one of the aliases I made for you. Tattoo-artist, motorcyclist. He had a pretty wild time at his sister's wedding in Phoenix. You should check out his Facebook page."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Wait, this could be good," Sara says. "Jury duty—a place where you have to follow instructions."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Where you have to consider other people's point of view," Alex says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Peter looks concerned.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"There's going to be <em>normal</em> people there, Sara," he says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>There’s a bit more back and forth about Mozzie taking responsibilities for Ron Carter’s civic duties before Mozzie looks to Neal for back up. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Neal!" Mozzie says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neal puts both his hands up.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Don't look at me," he says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"The justice system!" Mozzie says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's not like you're going to be on trial, Moz," Neal placates him. "Think of this as a chance to get an inside look at the machinations of the enemy."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Fine,” Mozzie hisses, “but, for the record, I hate this.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Noted and filed,” Sara says. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“There is not some kind of evil conspiracy lurking behind the curtain of every routine civic duty,” Sara snaps. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“That’s what they want you to think,” Mozzie shouts back at her, but he gives up on convincing her and walks away. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neal waits until he’s gone into the other room and is out of earshot before saying anything.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You know, he's never done that before," Neal says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What, freaked out?" Sara says. "Come on."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"No," Neal says, "asked for your help."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Listen," Sara says, "there is a reason we put him in a jury trial."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Mozzie wouldn’t like it if Neal told them about what he knew—about how Mozzie had grown up in an orphanage, how he’d had to become self-reliant at thirteen, how he’d learned from a young age that there are people that no one gives a damn about whose only protection are what they can make for themselves. It’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you, so goes the saying, and Mozzie has been a criminal with people after him for a long, long time. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>And, yes, Mozzie could stand to be more considerate of other people, but he has never worked with a team like this. He’s been working with Neal since the two of them met, but Neal will be the first one to admit that he’s non-confrontational and easy to get along with. Neal has very deliberately made himself that way. Mozzie’s not used to someone else being in charge. It involves a level of trust—trusting someone to know what’s good for you, trusting someone to take care of you—that he just hasn’t developed yet.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>But just because Neal shouldn’t tell anybody the specifics about Mozzie—and definitely doesn’t want to talk about his own childhood—doesn’t mean he can’t defend his friend. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neal mutes the game.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Some people," he says, voice careful and measured and sure, "when they're young, get the opportunity to learn how to talk to people—learn<em> about people</em>—and some people don't. And some people, when they're young," he says, "grow up with assurances. Connections. Safety nets. People looking out for them. Mozzie never had that. Any of it. You want him on this team? You want <em>us</em> on this team?" Neal holds her gaze. "You're going to have to cut him some slack."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Peter comes up behind them, pulls up a chair, and puts a six-pack of beer on the table. He's got a look on his face like baseball is the one true love of his life.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What did I miss?" he says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neal unmutes the television.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Nothing," he says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sara keeps her eyes on the game, but she’s not really watching it. When she cranes her neck to peer at Mozzie on the phone in the adjacent room, Neal knows he’s got her hooked. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>More importantly, he knows she’s got Mozzie’s back.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Peter, I need you to go with Mozzie to check something out,” she says. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Sure thing,” Peter says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>There’s a pause. Peter tears his eyes away from the game with dismay. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You mean right now?” he says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I promise you can impress upon us the wonderful qualities of baseball another time,” Sara says. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neal honestly hadn’t intended to use this as a way to get out of watching baseball with Peter, but, hey. He won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The idea is thrown around that they can impersonate higher-ups from a Mumbai-based international company. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I do a great British ex-pat,” Alex says. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I was hoping to lean on this guy’s stereotypes and racist mystification of ‘Indian culture,’” Sara says, thinking of the guy’s obsession with yoga. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“We’ll need to get creative, then,” Alex says, “because I am not doing brownface.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Sara waves a hand as if to say, <em>Duh</em>. She’s just thinking aloud. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I might know a guy for the video conference part,” Peter says. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“If Peter’s guy falls through, Moz and I definitely know some people,” Neal says. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Reach out to them,” Sara says. “Let them know that they have the chance to help us yank a racist’s chain, and they’ll be getting paid.” To Alex, Sara says, “How do you feel about getting a cultural appropriator by pretending to be a cultural appropriator yourself?” </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“British ex-pat who wears jhumkas and greets him with a ‘Namaste,’” Alex muses. “He’ll see someone like-minded. That could work.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Okay, today did not go well," Alex says, "but that's alright. You know, we learn when we fail. We're going to go back to basics, do a little role playing. Starting with—persuasion techniques. So, Peter—”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Peter regrets coming by the room to see what's going on.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"—has an apple," Alex says. She tosses them each a fruit. "Ron has an orange."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I love apples," Peter says, pasting a smile on his face. "Apples are my favorite fruit."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Good for you, punchy," Mozzie says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Peter turns to Alex.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I—I don't have to stand here and take this crap," he says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Go on," Alex says. "Just do it for me."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Peter turns back to Mozzie.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Alright. You have an orange," he says. "now, convince me that I want the orange, not the apple. I'm gonna take a bite."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He takes a bite of the apple.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's coated in rat poison," Mozzie says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Peter can't spit it out fast enough.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Are you serious?" he shouts.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Maybe," Mozzie says. "But do you know what isn't coated in rat poison? This orange. Don't you want it?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Peter stares at him as he leaves.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You fell for that?" Alex says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You didn't try to teach me anything today," Mozzie says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"You're a conman, Moz," Neal says. "You know what you're doing when it comes down to it."</p>
</div><div>
  <p><em>I like you the way you are,</em> Neal doesn't say.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He knows Mozzie hears it anyway.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"The bit with the apple was funny, right?" Mozzie says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Oh, yeah," Neal grins. "The look on Peter's face—”</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neal plays the role of the lawyer beautifully. Peter eyes him suspiciously after his first round of talking circles around judge and jury in order to stall for time. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“You’ve done this before,” he says. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“I’ve never impersonated a lawyer while presenting a case in a judge’s courtroom before,” Neal says honestly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“A lot of modifying phrases there,” Peter says wryly. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Lawyers are respectable people,” Neal says. “Useful disguises. And I look fantastic in a suit.”</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He really does. All Neal’s suits are tailored unless he’s deliberately wearing an ill-fitting one for a con—and this time he’s got a tailored one on, and it’s doing great things for his ass. Not that Peter’s been looking. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <hr/>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Mozzie's phone dings with a text.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Hey, it's Peggy from the trial!" he says. "She wants to have coffee next week. Ron made a friend."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"I'm going to tell you one more time," Peter says. "<em>You</em> made a friend. Not Ron."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Do you think she'd want to steal a painting with me?" Mozzie says.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Neal hides a smile.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this one was pretty short because I’m trying to go by memory with as many of the episodes as possible (I don’t have time to rewatch all of season one before I have to go back to uni)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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